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How did stephen curry start playing basketball


Stephen Curry | Biography & Facts

Stephen Curry

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Born:
March 14, 1988 (age 34) Akron Ohio
Awards And Honors:
Most Valuable Player

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Stephen Curry, in full Wardell Stephen Curry II, byname Steph, (born March 14, 1988, Akron, Ohio, U.S.), American professional basketball player who led the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to championships in 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, and 2021–22 and to the best regular-season record in league history (73–9) in 2015–16.

Curry grew up immersed in basketball as the son of 16-year NBA veteran sharpshooter Dell Curry. The younger Curry learned the intricacies of the game from his father. His keen shooting and high “basketball IQ” were not enough to persuade college coaches to overlook his wiry frame and unremarkable 6-foot (1. 8-metre) height. He did not receive scholarship offers from major college basketball programs and attended Davidson (North Carolina) College, which had an enrollment of fewer than 2,000 students. He quickly made his mark, however, averaging 21.5 points per game as a freshman to lead all first-year players in the country. Curry became a national sensation during his sophomore season, when he led 10th-seeded Davidson on an improbable run to the Elite Eight of the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s top-division basketball championship tournament in a performance that featured what would soon be recognized as his signature shot: a three-pointer from well outside the line. His junior season did not feature any such postseason heroics, but his average of 28.6 points per game led the country, and he was named a consensus first-team All-American. He then entered the 2009 NBA draft, in which he was selected by the Warriors with the seventh overall pick.

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Curry made an immediate impact with the Warriors, becoming the team’s starting point guard and averaging 17.5 points per game in his first season. A series of ankle sprains led to Curry’s playing just 26 games in the 2011–12 season, and he underwent off-season ligament surgery. He then signed a modest four-year $44 million contract extension that allowed Golden State to surround its budding star with other talented players. Curry led the league in three-pointers made (272) in 2012–13. The following season he repeated that feat (with 261) and earned his first All-Star selection. In 2014–15 he made a then-record 286 three-pointers while leading the Warriors to an NBA-best 67–15 record and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). In the following postseason, Curry propelled the Warriors to the franchise’s first title in 40 years over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Curry led his team to even greater heights in 2015–16, as Golden State bested the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls’ 72–10 regular-season record by one additional victory. He also topped the NBA with an average of 30.1 points per game and shattered his own league standard by making an astounding 402 three-point shots. Curry earned his second consecutive MVP award for his efforts and became the first person to be voted MVP unanimously. However, the Warriors’ historic season ultimately ended in shocking disappointment as the team surrendered a 3–1 NBA finals lead to the Cavaliers.

In 2016–17 Curry led the NBA in three-point field goals made (324) for a fifth straight season as the Warriors again led the NBA in wins (67). Golden State then ran off an unprecedented 12 straight victories to open the postseason and won a third consecutive Western Conference title. The Warriors finally had a postseason loss in game four of the NBA finals, but the team rebounded to defeat the Cavaliers in five games to capture Curry’s second NBA title.

A knee injury limited Curry to 51 games during the 2017–18 regular season, ending his five-year run as the league leader in three-point field goals attempted and made. He returned during the second round of the playoffs to help the Warriors win their fourth consecutive conference championship and third NBA title (in a four-game sweep of the Cavaliers). Curry continued his dazzling play in 2018–19, averaging 27.3 points per game and earning first-team All-NBA honours. In the playoffs, he guided an injury-plagued Warriors team to a fifth straight conference title, the most in a row since the NBA instituted conferences in 1970–71. However, additional injuries and inspired play by the opposing Toronto Raptors led to a six-game Golden State loss in the finals. The Warriors entered the 2019–20 season shorthanded after losing fellow All-Stars Kevin Durant (departure via free agency) and Klay Thompson (season-ending injury during the 2019 finals). Curry himself played in just five games during that campaign after breaking his hand early in the season, which led to the Warriors having a league-worst record. Curry returned to form and had a fantastic 2020–21 season, leading the NBA with 32 points per game, but the team missed the playoffs despite having a winning record. In December 2021 Curry made yet another mark in the NBA history books by scoring his 2,974th career three-pointer, breaking the NBA record for all-time three-point field goals scored. Following another season-ending injury in 2020, Thompson rejoined the team in 2021–22 and helped the Warriors finally return to form, as Golden State won 53 games and qualified for the postseason. There, the team—and Curry—regained their dominance, losing just six games during the NBA playoffs to win a fourth title during Curry’s era, and he was named finals MVP after scoring 31.2 points per game during the six-game series win over the Boston Celtics.

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Adam Augustyn

USA Basketball - Before They Made It: Stephen Curry

(Note: This is an updated version of a story that was first published on USAB.com last March.)

Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry has three gold medals under his belt as a member of USA Basketball, first as a member of the USA U19 National Team at the 2007 Global Games, then in 2010 with the USA Basketball Men’s National Team at the FIBA World Championship and most recently as a member of the 2014 USA World Cup Championship Team.  

When Stephen was a kid, it didn’t hurt that his father, Dell Curry, was himself a professional basketball player. But having a dad who played 16 seasons in the NBA doesn’t guarantee anything – especially if you are smaller and maybe not as athletic as others. According to Dell, who was with the Charlotte Hornets when Stephen was a child, Stephen became the NBA star he is today because he was a student of the game and he worked at it as hard as he could.

Now a six-year NBA veteran, Stephen was named the 2014-15 NBA MVP. Dell, who is a broadcaster for the Charlotte Bobcats, took time out to tell us more about Stephen’s early basketball experiences:

USA Basketball: What was Stephen like as a child?

Dell Curry: He was energetic, always paid attention to what was going on, eager to learn. He tried several different sports, not just basketball. He played football, baseball, a little soccer. He was always very intuitive of what was going on around him. He just soaked it all up.

He was a very good baseball player, then he found golf. He must have hit a really good golf shot when he was playing a round with me and decided that’s the way he wanted to go. He used to play golf with me when he was 6 or 7. I had a putter cut down and I’d take him with me. He’d ride in the cart, watch us play, and then when we got to the green he’d chip and putt.

 

USA Basketball: How did he become active in the sport and develop his skills?

Dell: I guess we started him probably when he was 6 or 7, in a rec league. He had been around it his whole life, obviously, with me playing in the NBA, so it was nothing new to him. But he started at a very young age and we just tried to make sure he got the proper skill set, the proper teaching of skills and fundamentals so that he grew and developed his game. He knew how to play and learned about the game and knew how to develop his skills and how to go about working at it.

 

USA Basketball: When did you realize Stephen had what it takes to play at a high level?

Dell: It depends on what level you’re talking about. He always had good ball-handling abilities and could shoot the ball. He was always the smallest kid on every team he played, but he was one of the hardest workers. So I would say it was the opportunity to play high school and be a pretty good player there. By the time he was in high school, I could tell he’d play in college somewhere. And then his college coach, Bob McKillop, told me after his very first tournament at Davidson College that he would be a pro player.

It wasn’t something that we saw right away. Working at his game and developing, we had an idea he could continue to go from level to level. But you never know as a young kid how far he’ll go – whether he’ll stay interested, whether he’ll continue to work, whether he’ll get burned out. There’s a lot of factors that go into what level he’ll be able to get to.

 

USA Basketball: As a kid, what challenges did he have to overcome?

Dell: Learning how to play without being the most athletically gifted or biggest guy. Being around NBA players really helped him because it taught him the game. He was at all the practices. He watched and learned how to play the game the right way, how to use his teammates. There was a process. Being around guys that you see are the best in the world really helps youngsters stay positive about the game. And it tells them that if they do love the game and they work at it they can reach new levels. 

 

USA Basketball: What advice do you have for the parents of young basketball players?

Dell: Just be supportive. Don’t push because that will take the fun out of a game. If your son or daughter decides to play a sport, try to give them as many resources as you can for them to be the best they can at it. I’ve told my kids, you can play any sport you want, but once you decide to play you’re going to give it your all, 100 percent. Because if you don’t, it’s going to reflect on you and your team. Don’t try to live your dreams through your child because it’s not going to work. It will only last for so long and then other problems will come. Just be as supportive as you can and give them as many resources as you can to develop their game and be as good as they can be at their sport.

 

Biography for 30. Everything you need to know about Steph Curry

Sportbox.ru columnist - about one of the most recognizable NBA players Steph Curry, who turned 30 on March 14th.

Steph Curry / Photo: © Ezra Shaw / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images

1. Stephen is Curry's middle name. The full name of two-time NBA champion Wardell Stephen Curry II. Only close friends and family members call Steph Wardell. Including his father Dell - one of the best snipers in NBA 90's.

2. For the last 5 years, the NBA has been squeezing all the juice out of the opposition between Curry and LeBron James. The frailty of a sniper's genius versus the animal athleticism of a station wagon. Steph's prosperous childhood against LeBron, who grew up in the slums and never knew his father. Here speculators often have to stop short. Stephen, like LeBron, was born in Akron, Ohio. Moreover, he was born in the same hospital as James.

Stephen Curry

3. Steph was on camera long before he started playing in the NBA. As a child, Curry Jr. starred in an advertisement for a well-known fast food chain.

4. Steph started breaking sniper records at the university. Curry made 162 3-pointers in his second season with the humble Davidson College team.

5. Mom decides everything. Stef, 30, has a verbal agreement with his mother regarding the professional activities of the player. After every three matches, Sonya fines her son for the number of losses. The rates are as follows: 4 losses - $100, 5 - $200, 6 losses - $300.

6. Steph recently admitted that he was flattered to have a movie made about him. Steph sees Denzel Washington as himself. But here it is unlikely. The 63-year-old actor is unlikely to pass the casting.

7. Steph's biggest fear is snakes. Kobe, did you hear that?

8. As for irritability. Steph hates when people sneeze and blow their nose without covering their face with a handkerchief or tissue.

9. Curry's all-time favorite player is Mugsy Bogues. The shortest player in NBA history (160 cm) was Steph's father's teammate in the Charlotte Hornets for a long time.

Muggsy Bogs / Photo: © Gettyimages/Fotobank.ru

10. Curry loves "girly films". According to his wife and mother, Steph often pours quotes from the melodramas "How to Become a Princess" and "Hurry to Love."

11. Curry's most vivid childhood memory is being on stage with hip-hop duo Kriss Kross. Just in case, this is a pair of 15-year-old boys whose main musical talent was wide-leg pants worn backwards.

12. None of the universities with a privileged basketball program paid any attention to Curry. The future two-time NBA champion had only three offers. From Davidson, Winthrop and VCU Universities.

13. Steph met his future teammate Kevin Durant at the age of 10.

“I walked into the gym and saw this half-ass 5 shots in a row from midfield,” Durant recalls, “that time he hit 35 three-pointers against my team.

Stephen Curry / Photo: © Ezra Shaw / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images

15. Steph's favorite series is How to Get Away with Murder. The plot revolves around a group of forensic lawyers who get confused in a series of crimes, cover their tracks, lie, dodge and master the basics of the profession in practice.

16. Curry's worst habit is his sweet tooth. Steph is ready to gobble up Maynards favorite peach candy for hours on end.

17. Steph loves golf.

“If I could trade places with any athlete, I would love to be Rory McIlroy,” Curry admits.

18. Steph met his future wife Ayesha when he was 15 years old. A fateful acquaintance happened in the church. Afterwards, the shy Steph invited the girl on a date via a Facebook message*. In 2011, the couple got married. Steph now has two daughters, Riley and Ryan.

19. Steph often gets into ridiculous situations.

- These two things happen to me all the time. Even now, I am often asked to provide ID when alcohol is sold. And, secondly, even in America they constantly confuse me with the Tottenham player Dele Alli, - Steph admits.

20. Like many other NBA players, Curry devotes a lot of attention to charity. For every 3-point shot he makes, he donates 3 mosquito nets to the Nothing But Nets Malaria Foundation.

21. Curry is a devout Christian.

- I don't hit my chest after big hits because I'm so tough. I make it clear that God is in my heart. He guides me,” Steph assures.

On Curry's signature sneakers, you can often see a combination of numbers 4:13. This is a reference to the quotation from the Bible - "I can do all things in Jesus Christ who strengthens me."

22. The developers of the NBA2K series of basketball simulations admitted that they had considerable difficulty in integrating Curry's skills into the game. To reflect Curry's unique ability to hit 3-pointers, the designers had to hack into the game's core code.

Stephen Curry / Photo: © Ezra Shaw / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images

23. Curry has the fastest shot. According to Sport Science, a Golden State point guard jumps and releases the ball in just 4 seconds.

24. Curry's pregame ritual consists of eating the pasta his wife makes, a glass of protein shake, two hours of sleep, and listening to music.

25. Steph and his wife Ayesha have matching arrow tattoos pointing at each other.

– The tattoo means that the past is behind us, the future is in front of us, and we are in the middle, explains Steph.

Before the game, Curry and Ayesha make sure to touch their tattooed wrists.

26. Curry shares the Splash Brothers nickname with teammate Clay Thompson in 2012. That's what Warriors PR manager Brian Witt called the couple after the winning match against the Charlotte Bobkets. "Warriors" then won - 115:100.

27. Curry almost made it to the New York Knicks. During the 2009 draft, the "knickerbockers" were in serious negotiations with the "Golden State" about the exchange of picks, but at the last moment the Californians still turned down the more eminent club and opted for Curry. The Knicks had to settle for Jordan Hill.

28. Steph takes advantage of the fact that the Warriors are based near Silicon Valley, where all the technology developments and start-ups of the United States are concentrated. Curry is a co-owner of CoachUp, which specializes in individual training and training packages.

29. The first time Curry managed to score from above was only in his first year at university.

30. Steph loves her birthday. But not because on this day all attention is riveted on him.

“I was lucky,” Curry likes to say, “I was born on the same day as Albert Einstein. I am very flattered that I was born on the same day as such a genius.

* A social network recognized as extremist in Russia

Stephen Curry - biography, personal life, photo, news, height, statistics, sneakers, clip, basketball player, weight 2022

Biography

Stephen Curry is an American professional league basketball player. Sport since childhood was his element and natural environment thanks to his parents. Not surprisingly, Stephen showed unusual talent, becoming a rare and very valuable player - a "three-point star".

Childhood and youth

Stephen was born March 14, 1988 in Akron, Ohio, but spent his childhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. He, along with his younger brother, often attended home games of the local basketball team, the Charlotte Hornets, for which their father played. Before the start of the match, Stephen and Seth always had time to practice on the professional court.

His parents immediately understood that Stephen's biography would be connected with basketball. The boy was born into the family of professional basketball player Della Curry, who had been an NBA player for 16 years. Another harbinger of future success, perhaps, was the fact that Stephen was born in the same maternity ward as his older friend LeBron James, and even the same nurse took delivery.

Having finished his career, the athlete's father became a commentator on the games of the Charlotte Hornets team. Stephen's mother, Sonya, was a member of the Virginia Tech volleyball team. Therefore, the sports spirit was passed on to children with genes.

Sonya organized a Montessori school for both boys. After her, Stephen continued his studies at the Charlotte School, where he was the soul of the company and an activist. He became a player on the local basketball team and represented it at the state championship. The team was lucky enough to reach the playoffs three times.

After receiving a certificate, Curry planned to enter the university where his mother studied, but the university did not offer a scholarship to the aspiring athlete. Davidson College turned out to be more circumspect. In the basketball team of this educational institution, Curry played 104 matches and won the title of the best rookie.

Basketball

In 2008, Stephen Curry was named to the US Collegiate Championship Second All-Star Team. In 2009, he managed to move to the first team. The young man cherished the hope of becoming a professional basketball player. He had to miss his last year of college. The reward for this was the NBA draft, which made him a player of the Golden State Warriors. The athlete began to act at number 7 in the position of point guard.

Before joining the young basketball player, this position was occupied by Monte Ellis, who began to perform the tasks of an attacking defender.

Having achieved his goal, Stephen worked at full strength. In 2010, playing in a team against the Los Angeles Clippers, the young man set a personal record: he was credited with 36 points per game, and the athlete showed a successful triple-double. In 2013, competing against the players of the New York Knicks, Curry made 11 three-point shots out of 13 attempts.

In 2012, Stephen Curry enrolled in the basketball school of LeBron James and Chris Paul. In the game against the Portland team, the athlete demonstrated his grip by making 4 three-point shots. In the 2012/2013 season, the statistics of such shots was 272 in 78 games. So the basketball player broke Ray Allen's record set in the 2005/2006 season.

Curry was often used as a trump card, because his main ability was the ability to drive the ball into the basket from behind the three-point line, while two-pointers were less successful. Working alongside Clay Thompson, Curry set the record for most three-pointers in the 2012/2013 season. In total, basketball players carried out a similar attack 483 times.

In the 2014/2015 season, the team in which Stephen played won 67 times, and this also became a kind of NBA and league record. Stephen received the title of the most valuable player of the season. The Golden State faced the New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, and Cleveland Cavaliers, emerging victorious from the competition. For his contributions to the team's success in 2015 and 2016, Curry was awarded the NBA Most Valuable Player Award.

In 2017, the National Basketball League was at its peak. A contract was re-signed with Curry, under the terms of which the athlete's salary in total exceeded $ 201 million. A 5-year agreement was connected with Stephen's native club.

In 2018, according to the results of the match with the Sacramento Kings, the athlete was declared the most productive player. Fans and experts called him the star of modern basketball. Curry's ability to hit three-pointers accurately in the basket in many games becomes decisive for the team.

In the 2019/2020 season, Stephen was seriously injured: in the regular season match with the Phoenix Suns, the player broke his left hand, it took about 3-4 months to recover. At the same time, the Golden State Warriors lost another important member - forward Kevin Durant moved to the Brooklyn Nets.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Warriors have become one of the teams to end the season early due to a slim chance of making the playoffs. Even before that, a number of team leaders were injured, which affected the general mood and success of the club.

Evil fate continued to dominate the team even further. Before the start of the 2020/2021 season, Clay Thompson suffered a torn Achilles tendon in training and was unable to participate in the games. Curry took the lead. Giving all the best, he showed a career-high performance. Despite this, the club finished 8th in the regular season.

Personal life

By the age of 30, Stephen Curry had succeeded as a professional athlete and as a family man. In 2011, he married Aisha Curry. His wife is a chef, cookbook author and blogger with a popular Instagram account. Her posts and photos were followed by millions of subscribers. Among them were those who are interested in the personal life of a basketball player.

Curry has three children. In 2012, the daughter of Riley was born, and in 2015, the parents announced the appearance of another girl, Ryan. Aisha gave her long-awaited son Canon to her husband in 2018.

Curry's wife is one of the most famous wives of NBA basketball players. She attracts attention with her incredible devotion to Stephen, which is built on the Christian faith. Aisha is always on the side of her husband and protects him in any controversial situation. Sometimes it attracts negativity: an opposing team fan once pushed a woman in the stomach when she was 8 months pregnant.

The couple have their own charity called Eaat.Learn.Play. Thanks to him, during the self-isolation due to the pandemic, there was support for children from low-income families who temporarily lost free school meals.

Curry is surrounded by the attention of journalists, so his social activities are covered in the media. So, the athlete supported the translation of the book Mamba Mentality together with the Brazilian football player Neymar, and well-known publications immediately wrote about this.

In 2018, Stephen accepted an offer to collaborate with the Under Armor brand. He participated in the release of three models of sneakers under the name Curry. The shoes he came up with were considered a great choice for professional athletes. The advertising campaign, in which the man participated, produced the desired effect for the brand.

Curry is 191 cm tall and weighs 84 kg.

Stephen Curry now

Stephen devotes all his free time to training and now, no less than in his youth, he strives to improve his professional skills. In the spring of 2021, the basketball player became the winner of the three-point shot contest as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend.

At the same time, the Golden State Warriors drew a wave of negative attention with a 104-130 loss to the Clippers. Got Curry too. A clip appeared on the Web where he yells at teammates. Recently, newcomers have been added to the club, and Stephen has become a leader in terms of experience and age. And commenting on the video, he noticed that he was simply trying to create a competitive spirit in the Golden State participants, which did not save the situation.

However, in October Curry managed to rehabilitate himself. In a regular season game against the same Los Angeles Clippers, Stephen had an amazing reception in the final game. When the ball went out, he threw it from the edge of the court into the ring, winning his team with a score of 115:113. The basketball player became the most productive player of the match and put 45 points into his personal piggy bank.

Also in October, Curry broke the 5,000 assist mark and had the second-longest three-point streak in history. However, the record streak of 157 games with three-pointers in a row also belongs to Stephen himself.

Achievements and honors

  • 2008, 2009 SoCon Player of the Year
  • 2009 NCAA Division I All-Star Player
  • 2010 National Basketball World Champion
  • 2011 NZBA Athletic Conduct Award0226
  • 2013,2015,2015. 2016 - record holder for three -point shots
  • 2014 - champion of the world basketball in the national team
  • 2015 - winner of the tender of three -eyed shots
  • 2016 - the most productive player of the NBA
  • 2017, 2017.20
  • 2015,2016 - NBA Most Valuable Player
  • 2014-2019, 2021 - NBA All-Star Game

Interesting Facts

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